Vendor-specific versus vendor-neutral certifications

Introduction – choosing the right certification for you

When deciding to get an information security certification, there are many factors to take into consideration. One of those decisions is whether you should pursue a vendor-specific or a vendor-neutral certification — but which one is right for you?

This article will detail the differences between the two types of certifications by giving you a closer look, examining some examples of the certifications themselves.

Vendor-specific and vendor-neutral certifications

Generally speaking, vendor-specific certifications cover specific information security software platforms, tools and technologies which usually focus on demonstrating expertise in a specific information security tool. On the flipside, vendor-neutral refers to an approach that aims to demonstrate broad compatibility and interchangeability of technologies, tools and products.

You may be thinking — so that’s it? I get the differences, but how can these certifications help me? While this may give you a general overview, to get down to the specifics of how these two approaches can help you in your own career it is best to make a closer examination of vendor-specific and vendor-neutral. We can do this by directly examining examples of both security and network certifications for each category.

Security certifications

Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) (vendor-specific)

NSE is Fortinet’s eight-level certification program intended for professionals that want to validate their network security skills. This certification demands a commanding level of understanding of Fortinet’s network security platform and will enable the holder to be viewed as part of the security elite.

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This certification is divided into eight levels, each containing an objective. These objectives span the spectrum of security skills from beginner/foundational to mastery. For example, the objective of NSE 1 is to develop an understanding of a foundational level of the current threat landscape, while the objective of NSE 8 is to (Read more...)